Rocket Buys Unwanted FAST Apps From Microsoft

Microsoft quietly announced today that it has sold off two products that it got as part of its purchase of Norwegian enterprise search firm Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) almost two years ago.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition of FAST in 2008 set Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) back about $1.2 billion in cash. It was announced in early January 2008, and Microsoft completed the purchase of FAST on April 24, 2008.

Besides the search technology, now sold as FAST ESP, however, Microsoft also acquired a content management system called Folio, and an online publishing product dubbed NXT. Those products were apparently deemed not important to Microsoft's product vision.

Now they have been sold to Rocket Software.

"This announcement marks the transition of the Folio and NXT products, services, and support thereof to Rocket," said a statement on Microsoft's FAST Web site.

Microsoft is currently working on FAST Search for SharePoint, a replacement for FAST ESP, which will be available with Office 2010 in the first half of next year. (Microsoft announced Tuesday that Office 2010 will ship in June.)

The company is also working on FAST Search for Internet Business, for users who want to use search "as an anchor for growing revenue online," according to online statements by Microsoft. That product is also planned for release in the same timeframe as FAST Search for SharePoint.

Rocket Software takes over

Newton, Mass.-based Rocket Software, which has more than 750 employees globally, creates and maintains product for enterprise infrastructure.

Statements on Rocket's site say the firm already has offerings in database, business intelligence, storage, networks and telecom, terminal emulation and FTP, integration, modernization and SOA, and security.

Rocket Software has posted an FAQ for customers of Folio and NXT on its site.

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